Kiwis welcome floating pub

Thirsty New Zealanders have turned out en masse to welcome a floating pub to London at the end of a 70-day voyage from Dunedin.

Thirsty New Zealanders have turned out en masse to welcome a floating pub to London at the end of a 70-day voyage from Dunedin. The pub, built in two 40ft containers joined together, was officially opened today after travelling to the UK aboard the chartered cargo ship Lida via Samoa, Panama, the Bahamas, and New York.

The saga began when Tim Ellingham asked friends back home to send him some New Zealand-brewed Speight’s beer. Hearing of his plight, the brewery decided it would build a pub, fill it with beer, and ship it to London.

The pub, which is fully operational complete with a bar, lounge, air conditioning, and plasma TV, was manned by four volunteers and was open for two hours every night throughout the voyage. Lida, with the pub on deck, took a turn through Tower Bridge before offloading her cargo at Thames Quay, Canary Wharf.

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